Oxfam Books window display, Reigate
Oxfam Books, Reigate
A trip to Oxfam Books, Dorking
I do like Dorking, and there appeared to be a freshness to the place following recent rain. Since I was last here a few months ago, the high street appears to have a few more empty shops, but it’s still a very pleasant, small town. Today’s visit by train was to donate around ten books to the Oxfam Bookshop (and to pick up another three!). Probably over three-quarters of the books I read end up here. I only keep those I flag as highly recommended, the rest are donated to Oxfam Books. A coffee and date-slice in the Two Many Cooks coffee shop rounded off a nice morning.
Frédéric Dard
Whilst on a short holiday in Aldeburgh I bought three paperbacks from the excellent The Aldeburgh Bookshop. I’ve just read, in no time at all, the short (160 pages), 1952 thriller, The King of Fools by French author Frédéric Dard. It’s a charming read. At the back of the novel there’s an interesting potted history of the author’s life. I checked out the publisher’s website and found that they have a bundle of 4 of his novels for a mere £20.
Morden Hall Park
Morden Hall Park, owned by the National Trust, offers a pleasant, park walk, and on a sunny morning I managed to take a few decent photos. The second-hand bookshop is large, though I couldn’t find much of interest other than a single science paperback.
Technically, I suppose it was theft
Today, a walk to assuage my guilt! Last week I found 3 books in the National Trust’s second-hand bookshop at Polesden Lacey and didn’t pay for them. The card reader wasn’t working and they had no cash to give change. I was told I could pay for them if I exited the grounds and paid at the gift shop. But I wasn’t intending to exit the grounds at the gift shop, so I put the books in my rucksack and continued my walk before finally leaving. My intention was either to make an online donation or to pay on my next visit. Hence today’s walk to the same bookshop, in order to pay my dues. I explained to the volunteer running the shop why I had come, although I put a gloss on it saying that I had forgotten to pay!
It was a grey day for a walk and all the pictures came out drab, even with the help of Photoshop. So just one image, a black & white rendition taken at the edge of some dark woods.
In addition to paying my dues at the bookshop I also found a couple of thin novels. Don’t they have great covers!
Dapdune Wharf
A train to Guildford and a 15 minute walk took me to Dapdune Wharf, a modest National Trust site on the River Wey. My purpose was to investigate the second-hand bookshop, which I can now recommend and which proved successful. I went inside the large barge wearing one of the hard-hats provided – absolutely essential for all six-footers! There’s also a very decent cafe. It was a lovely few hours spent in the bookshop, pottering around and having a cafe sandwich lunch. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/river-wey-and-godalming-navigations-and-dapdune-wharf
The first two images were taken on the walk from the station to the Wharf and show the River Wey as it passes through the centre of Guildford.
Berlin bookstores
I’ve just started reading this second-hand, 1973 paperback – a Christmas present from my son’s German girlfriend. Admire the book’s yellow pages – it’s 48 years-old! The enclosed bookmark says the book came from one of the many Berlin bookshops selling English books.
Astonishingly, Berlin bookshops are considered ‘essential services’ during lockdown and allowed to stay open – we in the UK can only dream.
Here’s a rather nice article detailing ‘The best English bookstores in Berlin‘.
The bookshops are open!
The shackles have been relaxed a little and the shops have reopened, including Waterstones the bookshop – yay!
I’ve just finished reading my 100th book of the year so what better way to reward myself than a little restocking. Three very different non-fiction books – a true crime, an autobiography and some history/politics.
I’m currently reading Dictators, by Frank Dikötter. It’s an examination of eight twentieth-century dictators. Fascinating stuff with astonishing parallels with the personality of the current American president. It’s enthused me to make an effort to read more history.
My local high street was heaving, due no doubt to the relaxing of the Covid restrictions as well as being not-long-to Christmas. And with Debenhams about to shut, the scavengers were out looking for a bargain.
More books
A selection of books from a couple of charity shops, all for the grand sum of £6.50.
Getting books during covid
In these difficult times I’ve been getting my reading material from different sources:
- Re-reading books from my shelves
- ebooks downloaded from my local library
- Blackwell’s online bookshop
Today I ventured into our local Waterstones and came away with three books. I can’t say that wearing a mask for the length of time it takes me to browse is a pleasant experience, but it was fine. And it’s good to be back in a bookshop again!
As an aside I wasn’t sure whether I should use ‘ebook’ or ‘e-book’ in the text, but after looking up “E-book, ebook, eBook” on Grammarist, I decided to go with ‘ebook’.
Stony Stratford
It’s a nightmare going by car from North Surrey to Milton Keynes. Getting there it was the South/North Circular – a mere 14 miles in the first hour, followed by the M1 motorway. The return journey was M1 and M25 which was going well until it wasn’t. Five hours total driving is no fun on our road system.
Getting rid of books
Not being able to browse bookshops, I’m getting my reading material by downloading e-books from the library and by re-reading books from my shelves. Once read I would normally hang on to a book only if it’s received my ‘highly recommended’ stamp of approval or, exceptionally, a ‘recommended’ one. But with the passage of time the shelves are bursting and I’ve decided that any book I re-read I will dispose of. There may be exceptions.
It’s too much hassle to try to resell books online and too little money to be gained so I take books to my local Oxfam Books. A book given to a charity can often be sold several times over since there’s a strong likelihood that books bought from a charity shop will be donated back to the same shop. This is clearly good for the charity, though less good for the author of the book. I don’t know whether that should bother me.
things change 